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For years, the opportunities and resources available to girls and
women in Wales to develop their sporting skills were lagging
behind. But things are improving. And that’s the dream – ‘Off
She Goes!’
This book is a celebration of the achievement of those women
who have and still go for it to the limit.
- ISBN: 9781845279875
- Publication: June 2025
- Elen Williams
- Adapted/Translated by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Anna Lloyd Williams
- Format: Paperback, 210x148 mm, 96 pages
Review by Dylan Ebenezer
This summer will be a huge one for women's sport as international teams and individuals from Wales compete at the highest level. The football team are on their way to Euro 2025 – the first time they have ever played in a major competition. The Welsh rugby team in the World Cup. A big fight possibly also for the boxer Lauren Price in Cardiff. A summer and a half!
This book is a perfect companion for what is to come - but more than that it records the history and challenges the girls and women have had to fight against over the years.
The familiar names and sports are here, but also the lesser known ones. As for the familiar - the section about football and rugby is voluminous and full of facts about the big names who have pioneered the game. But there is also an important history that reminds us of the prejudice that has existed against women's sports. Welsh women's football was banned for over half a century, for example. An amazing fact which is also completely shameful.
But it may be the unfamiliar names that strike you the most. From the first Welsh athlete to win gold at the Olympic Games to the first person (man or woman) to swim across the Bristol Channel.
The history of cycling is also impressive – especially the development of the bikes themselves. I don't believe we would have managed to go very far on the old Penny-Farthing! There is a wonderful chapter about Countryside, Lake and Sea Sports - which includes the history of the Mydroilyn tug-of-war team as well as two who have had great success while shearing. The vocabulary notes are also a great help - even for those of us who think we understand the different sports. There is always more to learn!
The real photos and history come to life and they intertwine well with the colorful illustrations. It's a small volume that can be read in one go but also strikes you as something you'll keep coming back to.
I work a lot on women's football and often discuss the state of the sports with those within a game. What strikes you is that most of the women only want to talk about the game or the event. They are happy to be ambassadors but it was not their choice. No, all everyone wanted to do was enjoy sports.
However, it was never that easy.
It is impossible not to see that any success is another big step forward in the development of women's sports. Every small victory is part of the big picture. Whether that's fair or not - there is pressure on everyone to inspire the next generation and promote their sport on every occasion.
The day will come when there is no need to do that. We will be there discussing the game - the result - and nothing else. That's when we will know that women's sports in equal to men's sports.
In the meantime a book like this one is extremely important.